Marvin Jones, a wide receiver for the Detroit Lions, has announced that he’s taking a break from playing to take care of family matters. The team released him, according to NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelisser.

“To be brief, I am stepping away from the team to take care of personal family matters,” he wrote on Instagram. “Although this was no easy decision, I cannot be the person/player that I need to be for this team as well as tend to my family from afar.”

He added that he has “so much love and respect for the Ford Family, the city of Detroit, my teammates and coaches.” He also said that he’d be rooting for the Lions “every step of the way.” Finally, he said that this wasn’t an easy decision. We wish Jones and his family the best with whatever challenges they’re facing.

Jones didn’t play in Detroit’s Week 7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. That was actually the first game of the season that he didn’t play. Let’s hope his absence won’t mean more losses for the Honolulu blue.

Jones rejoined the Detroit Lions for his 12th season in the NFL this spring and inked a one-year, $3 million deal. Jones hasn’t mentioned that this move is part of a larger retirement. But, if this marks his final run with the NFL, he’s had a great career. The 33-year-old was picked in the fifth round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. He played with Cincinnati for four seasons, one on injured reserve. Then, he played with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Detroit Lions. In his career, Jones has played in 151 games with 118 starts, recording 547 catches for 7,421 yards and 58 touchdowns.

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By Anne Erickson anne@alternativefix.com